Muslim Group Launches Blood Drive to Honor 9/11 Victims

Today marks the kickoff of the Muslims for Life campaign – an effort by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to donate 10,000 units of blood via blood drives across America throughout the month of September.

The group says its goal is to honor the memory of those who died ten years ago in the 9/11 attacks, while reaffirming “the message that Islam values the sanctity of life,” according to their website. “Terrorists caused death and destruction on Sept. 11, 2001. But they also hijacked the faith of Islam. By painting a violent, militant picture of the religion, terrorist extremists have created suspicion of all Muslims. But the truth is that terrorists do not represent Islam or Muslims.”

The Ahmadiyya community says its efforts will hopefully result in enough donations to save up to 30,000 lives. The group is seeking community partners with whom to hold events, in addition to an event being hosted at each of the Ahmadiyya mosques and prayer centers nationwide. The closest events to San Diego currently scheduled are in the Riverside/San Bernardino communities of Norco, Chino, and Moreno Valley.

The Ahmadiyya group bills itself as “the most dynamic Muslim community in modern history, with worldwide membership exceeding tens of millions.” In 2010 they launched the Muslims for Peace campaign in the U.S. and U.K., which consisted of public advertising and interfaith community meetings to foster the idea that most practitioners of Islam do not condone violence.